Melissa Gregory Rue writes, directs, and produces films and series that provide cross-cultural experiences to inspire compassionate action on our planet. In 2020, her short drama “Esperanza’s Turn” screened in 21 festivals around the globe and won seven awards including Best Director at the Oregon Short Film Festival and the Rising Star Award at the Colorado International Activism Film Festival. Currently, Melissa is in post-production on a feature documentary, Live Out Loud, that explores how learning to make films can empower people experiencing homelessness and help them begin to heal from trauma. In addition to working on her own projects, Melissa co-produces Connectivity Project, a documentary series about people and organizations making a positive impact on our interconnected world. In 2021 she joined the board of the McMinnville Short Film Festival. Before shifting her focus to filmmaking, Melissa taught writing and literature at Portland Community College in Portland, Oregon for many years.